A retreat into contemplation away from the urban noise of contemporary living offers the opportunity to immerse oneself in reduced visualisations of the sublime. As the noise of human progress encroaches on and threatens the remaining wilderness, the making of these photographs deliberately eliminates any human presence - sometimes an increasingly difficult task. Whilst my work takes its place at the edge of our shores or contemplates the distant horizon, there is a feeling that there is a limit to the perpetuation of the romantic myth. Whilst beauty still exists, its future and ours, may be on the verge of oblivion. Even the ocean, subject of so much of my work and traditional provider of this essential mental release, is contaminated by detritus, which destroys our vision and the Romantic notions of William Turner’s oblivion.

Standing at the edge, my attempts to take communion with Casper David Friedrich’s monk are tinged by the desire to raise the alarm as to the danger in our midst. Yes, beauty exists in our world, but its capture is subject to increasing abstraction as the framing of the camera edits out the encroaching clutter of contemporary life. Selective framing subtly reduces human presence in an effort to capture this unspoiled state.

It is surprising that this fear can be more keenly felt within the secure environment of our homes, alarmed by the news of rising tides, rather than the immediacy of the ocean itself. Sometimes the sense of physical vulnerability induces a cathartic state – and creates a mental space in which to take refuge. It is in this space that I prefer to operate.

For me the visual challenge is still finding meaning in what we perceive as beauty. I am left poised on the brink of this reality as I try to grasp the value of the natural, which is highlighted by the threat of creeping urbanisation.

My intention is to focus the observer’s attention and avoid deflecting it with negative images, which distract the observer from the essence of the image. In doing so I hope to draw the observer towards the spiritual essence of the image. The fragility of our existence is keenly illustrated in this manner and drawn towards existing beauty. I hope that the delicate nature of my portrayal serves as a metaphor of the fragility of our relationship with the natural world. It further aims to offer a re-acquaintance with what Dawn Perlmutter has suggested, a quality which has recently fallen off the agenda, the previous nourishment of much of the world’s art – the spiritual.

Nicholas Hughes 2005